Customer Service: A Fly on the Wall

Recently my husband and I had our credit card declined. The incident resulted in us calling the credit card company (on speaker) while waiting in a drive thru. There were heated emotions and I’m embarrassed to say that my husband and I had a little argument – Yes. In front of the service agent. The customer service representative reminded us three times that the call was being recorded for quality purposes.

When reflecting on this experience, what stands out is how much insight our credit card company can glean from the interaction. For example, they can listen to this interaction and…

• …assess the agent. Did the agent deliver an experience that matches their values?
• …learn more about why declines happen when a new card is issued and how they can improve the communication when activating a new card.
• …understand the impact on their customers when credit cards are decline. For us, it was an argument.  

The challenge is, today most companies don’t listen to understand. They listen to respond, to track a score, or to judge performance.  

Enlightened companies, however, act like a “fly on the wall” – observing and listening to customer interactions for purposes of understanding the broader context and its impact. They embrace the power of “AND” by understanding the micro-interactions that trigger opportunities with individual customers AND the macro-interactions that pinpoint where to focus strategic priorities.  

Customers leave breadcrumbs throughout their journey – dropping hints about their experience, sharing information about their lives, and providing the context that often gets unused or overlooked.

At Authenticx, we act as a fly on the wall, helping companies listen to understand, bringing context and clarity for both the micro-interactions AND the macro-interactions. We do this through machine learning AND human listening. Want to learn more? Click here to contact us.    

And, for those who might be wondering how the credit card interaction ended. The agent resolved our issue, and my husband and I spent the next day celebrating our 21^st anniversary.